Improvement in cooling, drying, and ventilating granaries and other buildings



' to another part.

UNiTnD STATES since DANIEL E. SOMES, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COOLING, DRYING, AND VENTILATING GRANARIES AND OTHERBUILDINGS.

Specification lbrining part of Letters Patent No. 416,950, dated March21,1865.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL E. SoMns, of the city of lVashington, in theDistrict of Columbia, have made a new and useful improvement in cooling,drying, and ventilating granaries, store-houses, and other buildings inwhich wheat, Indian corn, oats, rice, barley, and other breadstuffs areto be kept and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawingsmaking a part of this specification.

The nature of this invention consists in constructing buildin gs forstoring grain and other like substances in such a manner that they maybe cooled, dried, and ventilated throughout, and so that the substancesstored in them shall be preserved in sound condition without thenecessity of removing or handling them.

It is well known that grain cannot be stored in bulk without greatdanger of being spoiled or injured by heating, mold, fermentation, the`development of insects, and other inj urious effects which arise fromkeeping a mass of grain in a closed apartment. To avoid the dangerof-spoiling as much as possible, it is usual to dry the grain in stoves,ovens, graindriers, and `the like 5 also to handle the grain by movingit from one partI of the building These operations are expensive, andare not always successful, especially il' it is necessary to keep thegrain in store for a long time. Besides, it is difficult to dry grain bymeans of kilns, furnaces, and the like without injuring it to some extent.

The object of my invention is to construct granaries or buildings'inwhich grain is to be stored so that the grain may at all times and atany time be cooled, dried, and ventilated, so that the grain may be leftfor any desirable length of time in store without danger of spoiling,and without the necessity of handling or removing it.

The following description will enable others to construct and use myinvention.

The walls, roof, and iloor of the building, and also of the separateapartments or bins, may be constructed. in the manner usual in thisclass of buildings; or they may be made multiple,with spaces between forair or other non-conducting material, as fully set forth in thespecilication of my patent for improvements in se-` curing a uniformtemperature in packing,- houses, &c., dated September 13, 18S/l. Thearrangement of the bins and apartments in their general features mayalso conform to the plans usual in the best constructed granaries, andshould contain the devices and machinery suitable for introducing andremoving the grain in the best manner. These, however, it is notnecessary to specify, as my invention relates only to the processes anddevices necessary for cooling, drying, and Ventilating the severalapartments, so as to preserve their contents.

In this improvement I employ the saine agencies for obtaining cool anddry air as described in the several patents granted to me February 2S,1865, to which I refer for additional explanation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows one mode of applying myinvcntion to agranary. A A" A2 are the bins for containing` grain. B represents anapartment for cooling air by means of the low and uniform temperature uwhich always exists at certain depths below the earths surface, as fullyexplained in my patent No. The pipe p brings a current of cooled waterfrom subterranean coolers. As it passes through the pipe or coil m, itcools the air in chamber B. The fan F or other equivalent device fordriving air forces the cold air through the pipes S in the severalapartments or bins A A', Ste. 'lhese pipes pass lin through the mass ofgrain in the bins, and by means of perforations, as shown, distributethe cold air through the gra/in. As the air is cooled in the separateapartment B, the moisture precipitated by the cooling will collect onthe pipes or channels m and on the walls of the apartment- B, so thatthe air which enters the grain will be both dry and cool. rlhe bodyofthe grain could be cooled by having the pipes mpass through the binsor in their walls; but to prevent the deposition of moisture the pipesshould be surrounded by a perforated casing or jacket, as shown in Fig.3, so that the moisture will be deposited between the casing and thepipes. Instead of having the air enter the grain in the bins by pipes S,the bins may be constructed as shown at A2. The bin is made with aperforated lining, leaving a space, S,

which is,l connected with the air-blowing apparatus. l If it isdesirable to cool the air still further, i`t may be compressed in thechamber 3. Theiirst eil'ect of compression is to raise I thetemperature; but it will soon be cooled by a betterl, mode ofconstructing a granary with my improvements. B is a chamber containf ingpipes in, connected with the subterranean cooler M. The air, partiallycooled in B, is forced through the pipe l and subterranean coil-vN,where it is still further cooled, and then passed through the pipes Sor other equivalent device into and through the bins. It' desired, thechamber B may be omitted, and the air forced directly into thereservoirs, channels, or pipes N, and then passed into the bins. Bycompressing the air in it and then permitting` it to expand as it entersthe bins it will be both cooled and dried.

Fig. 4 shows some modifications of the arrangement shown in Figsl and 2.rlhe cham ber B contains the cold-water pipes M, and is opened at thetop, so as to permit the free entry of the air. It may be surmounted bya hood or cowl. As the air is cooled, it sinks through the pipe l or itmay be forced through these pipes by any suitable air-blowing apparatus,and may, when it is desired to obtain a very low temperature, becompressed in the coil N. As it is cooled, moisture will be deposited,and a suitable tank, T, should be provided to receive the water whichcollects in the pipes N. To remove ,this water, a pump, R, or otherequivalent device may be used. Similar arrangements should be providedwith all the cooling apparatus, so as to remove the moisture deposited.

The principle of compressing air and cooling it while compressed, andthen permitting it to expand, is onethat may be applied in manydifferent ways and with great advantage in cooling and preserving grain,for by this process the air is thoroughly dried and cooled. A convenientmode of applying it is to have a strong reservoir in the ground,or insuch position that it may be readily cooled. By any suitable air-forcingapparatus air is to be forced into this reservoir and permitted toremain there till it acquires the temperature of the reservoir, and thenlet it expand and be conducted into the bins or apartments to be cooled.

For driving and compressing air any suitable source of power may beused. In large establishments a steam-en gine or horse-power willgenerally be the most convenient; but in some situations the Wind may beconveniently employed as the motive power, either by the aid of awindmill or by the force of the wind against a hood or cowl upon the topof the building, so as to force a current ot' air through the airpassages and spaces.

The air-pipes l in Fig. 2, instead of' passing through the earth, asshown at N, may be conducted through the ordinary water-pipes as usuallylaid in cities.

By whatever-means the cooling is eiected, moisture or water will usuallybe deposited. rIherefore it is always important to make suitable guttersor pipes to carry off the deposited water, so as to prevent its wettingthe grain. Other modes of cooling the air may be employed, such as ice,freezing-mixtures, Src.

The process above described for cooling and drying the air, and forVentilating granaries will, in nearly all cases, be sufficient to keepgrain from being injured. The temperature may easily be kept so low asto prevent both insect and fungus growth of every kind. If, however, itis desired to still further dry grain for any purpose, a system ofhot-air pipes of the usual construction may be connected so as toalternate with or take the place of the cold-air system above explained.The air may also be dried by passing it over or through hygrometric orabsorbent substances.

Having thus explained my invention, I wish it to be understood that I donot limit 1ny self to the particular arrangement of devices shown in thedrawings, since these may be greatly varied Without departing from theprinciple of my invention.

rlhe essential features of my invention are, rst, constructing the binsor apartments for containing grain with flues, air-passages, orequivalent devices for distributing air in, around, and through thegrain, so as to have a thorough and easily-controlled ventilation of thegrain at all times; second, connecting with the Ventilating devicessuitable means for cooling and drying the air to be used in theventilation of granaries.

' Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. Constructing granaries and similar buildings with bins or apartmentscontaining airpassages, flues, or channels so as to furnish means forcooling and Ventilating them, substantially as set forth.

2. Cooling and Ventilating granaries or buildings for storing grain bymeans of air compressed and dried, substantially as herein set forth anddescribed.

3. Cooling the air for Ventilating granaries by means of subterraneancoolers, as set forth and described.

4. In combination with devices for cooling and introducing air intogranaries, suitable channels for carrying olf any moisture that i may bedeposited, so as to prevent its coming 7. Constructing bins orapartments for grain, in contact With the grain. or other materialsliable to be injured by being 5. Drying air to be used in Ventilatingkept in a close chamber, with a system of coolgranaries by means ofhygrometric or absorbing and Ventilating devices, substantially as entmaterials, as set forth. herein set forth and described.

6. In combination with multiple Walls, any D. E. SOMES. or all of thedevices herein described for eool- Witnesses: ing and Ventilatinggranaries and other silni- J. K. SOMES,

lar buildings. F. C. SOMES.

